Queen of the Stars
by jadesei
Summary: Who's this emotionless, quiet, withdrawn, lonely person? This person who has lost so much and has nothing left, who is she? {Revised Edition}
1. Welcome to Her Life

Chapter One  
  
She stared around at the misty, gloomy battlefield, tears in her eyes. Her hands went up to cover her ears automatically as cries of pain rang through the air. It was all she could do to suppress her own cries.  
  
She knew by now that it wouldn't do her any good to try and help them but to no avail. She'd reached out before, screamed at them, run to their sides, but they couldn't see her, nor could they hear her. Goddammit, they couldn't even sense her presence!  
  
When the final soldier fell, she wandered the bloodied grounds aimlessly, her heart aching terribly as she stared down at their lifeless bodies. She'd been in this nightmare an uncountable number of times before and, each time, it was like her soul was being run through again and again.  
  
Yet, she wasn't afraid. Not anymore. She already knew what would happen and she knew the pain that she felt would lessen or worsen by day. The only thing she felt these days was a mind-numbing ache in her heart and soul.   
  
No longer did she truly smile. She stumbled along each day, wondering what it would have been like if she'd been stronger the day that fate decided to throw her world off balance.  
  
Still, she went on for them, her once sparkling eyes now dark with grief. If they could see her now, she knew they wouldn't approve of her behavior in the least and would probably even yell at her to snap out of it. But what use was it that she live for them if she couldn't even hold her head up high anymore?  
  
During the time that she was in high school, everyone noticed the abrupt change in the normally happy-go-lucky girl. Her grades shot sky high and she was still beautiful but not glowing with joy like before. Her eyes held a haunted look and her face was always utterly calm, expressionless. She also changed her hairstyle, cutting her once ankle length hair so that it hung only halfway down her back. Slowly, everyone realized that she had lost much and she was growing into adulthood way too early. Though she was still a gorgeous young woman, it just wasn't the same. She'd done a complete 180, changing from the merry, energetic person they all knew to a complete stranger. Anyone that had known her before would not recognize her now as the quiet and withdrawn human being that she had become.

Her normal friends who saw the abrupt change tried to save her, bring her out again but to no avail. She was simply locked away, refusing help, because, inevitably, they would leave as well and she would only hurt more. Because, to be honest, do any people really stay together forever?  
  
Yet, anyone that did not know her-had never met her-would most likely think that she was a very lucky person. She was one of the smartest people in college, ranking one of the top ten students even at her young age. But they didn't know the real reason why she was so intelligent.  
  
It wasn't because she loved to learn. The truth was that she stayed up almost always until nearly 2 o'clock in the morning, studying. She was just trying to keep herself busy in hopes that she could keep the need to sleep at bay because, every night, that same dream would come and she wouldn't be able to wake up. She also thought logically that if she was too tired, she would fall into a dreamless slumber and wake up, still slightly drowsy, but feeling a little less pain than the day before.  
  
Yes, she had gone to the doctor and purchased heavy sleeping pills and antidepressants but the dream managed to slip in between the chinks and she still had that same nightmare at least once a week.  
  
It's disheartening, dismal, and dreary, isn't it? Well, this is her life.  
  
Enter Miss Serena Tsukino, age 18, two years after the defeat of Chaos.


	2. Good Bye

Chapter Two  
  
Serena clicked off the lamp and then sat there in the dark for a few minutes before slowly climbing into bed, dreading the darkness that threatened to eat her whole.  
  
A few minutes later, her breathing was steady and it was known that, inevitably, sleep had claimed her.

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"Huh?" She slowly looked around in confusion when she found herself standing on the moon.  
  
No. Wait. She looked down to what she already knew. She was dressed in a pale pink gown that hugged her curves yet wasn't too frilly. She let her hands drift up to touch her hair and found her silver-streaked golden locks held up once more in the traditional Lunarian hairstyle.  
  
"Serenity," a calm, wise voice called softly.  
  
She spun on her heel to come face to face with her past mother, also the past Queen of the Moon.  
  
"Mother!" she cried, launching herself into the woman's embrace.  
  
The silvery-lavender-haired woman felt tears coming to her own eyes as her daughter began to sob quietly, heartbroken sobs.  
  
"I'm so sorry, my child," she said softly, trying to comfort her loved one. "I never knew that you would have to go through so much pain. I would that I could change this but I am not any powerful being anymore. I am simply a spirit that has not gone to rest yet. Serenity, please listen to me. I have something to tell you."  
  
Serenity looked up at her mother, unashamed of her tear-streaked face. "What is it, Mother?"  
  
Queen Serenity stroked her daughter's silver-streaked hair and smiled sadly. "This may be hard to hear but your Terran mother was not Ilene Tsukino."  
  
"What?" Serenity looked utterly baffled and lost. "What do you mean, Mother? Then who is my mother? Who is my father?"  
  
Queen Serenity continued in a soothing voice. "You were actually born to a loving couple in a different dimension. Your father isn't human either. He is a full-blooded Saiyan, a species that is almost extinct except for two of them who have survived and many human-Saiyan hybrids, their children and grandchildren. You are one of those half-Saiyans. Your name is Son Serena, daughter of Son Goku, the strongest man in the universe."  
  
"I have a family?" Serenity asked frantically. "Can I see them? Will they like me? Will they know who I am? Will I know who they are? What happened? How come I'm not with them? What----"  
  
Her mother stopped her with a finger to her lips. "Listen carefully, Serenity. A long time ago, you were born to Goku and Chi-Chi, but you were born in the wrong dimension and everyone needed you so badly here. Although I knew that you would have been happy in your original dimension, I also knew that the evils the Sailor Scouts faced here would be too much to overcome without your help and that you would be a great friend to everyone here. So, I had Sailor Pluto bring you back when you were just born, unknown to Goku and his wife.  
  
"You see, you were born just a few seconds before Gohan, your twin brother. All Sailor Pluto did was erase Chi-Chi, Goku's, the doctors', and the nurses' memories. She changed a few records so that you never existed and then she brought you back here.  
  
"She never foresaw this outcome and I never thought anything like this would happen. I know how you have been these past few years, Serenity, and it is terrifying me."  
  
At that, her daughter looked down, ashamed. "I know that everyone would probably be mad at me but I just can't get over it. I miss them so much!" she cried painfully. "I dream about them over and over again! I wish it would all go away but it won't! And then my mom died and my father kicked me out when I came home late one night after a mysterious attack at the school! I just want it all to go away!"  
  
Then she started to cry again.  
  
A single tear streaked down the former queen's face and she embraced her daughter. "I'm sorry, Serenity. But, now, maybe you can find a new family. You have the power now as Cosmos. I know that everyone will love you in your real home. You can go home, Serenity, to your father, mother, and brothers."  
  
Serenity looked up at her mother, shocked. "I can? But don't they need me here?"  
  
Queen Serenity shook her head sadly. "No. I regret to inform you that you were one of the reasons why there was so much evil coming to Earth. Everyone wanted the power that you hold in your hands. You can finally go home, Serenity. Though Goku and Chi-Chi do not know it, in their hearts, they know that they are missing something. And that 'thing' is you, Serenity."  
  
Her daughter looked up and then, for the first time in a long while, she smiled. "Thank you, Mother. Oh, thank you!" Then a worried expression came over her. "But, will I still be able to speak with you, Mother?"  
  
The former queen shook her head. "It's all right, Serenity. There is no need for that anymore. I will be going on, now, to Heaven or wherever I should be. I just know in my heart that you will be happy in your home. Leave the past as it is for it has been a great past and I am proud to know that you are my daughter."  
  
Tears poured down Serenity's face, yet she smiled radiantly. "I love you, Mother. I will always love you. You are my one and only mother."  
  
At that, Queen Serenity laughed. "Yes, I will always love you as well. But I am not your one and only mother, I am simply your first mother."  
  
And with that, she and the peaceful world around her began to fade away.

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Serena awoke that morning, touching her lips to find a lingering smile. That was when she knew that the dreams would stop plaguing her and that she would soon move on. After that, she set about busily, passing all her college exams, receiving her diploma and an award from a very important person in Japan for being one of the youngest students ever to graduate from college, and collecting everything she'd need in the new world her mother had told her about.  
  
Looking around at her empty room, Serena smiled sadly one last time before looking heavenward and calling the Time Staff that Pluto had once held in her hands.  
  
A portal appeared before her and she closed her eyes, taking a deep breath as well as a forward step.  
  
"GOOD BYE!!!!!!!!!!!!!" she screamed as loud as she could when she began to fall. 


	3. Hi, Nice To Meet You

Chapter Three  
  
Serena gave a loud shriek of delight as she fell through the sky like a skydiver except without a parachute. A wave of exhilaration washed over her as a beautiful countryside filled her vision when she plunged through a cloud.  
  
"Wow..." Her mouth was set in a small 'o' as she looked around at the hover cars and astonishingly pollute-free lakes. This new world was quite different from hers, only slightly though. The houses still looked the same and the animals were pretty much the same. Well, that was what she thought until some large flying animal blasted passed her, causing her to spin in the air full circle.  
  
"Oh, my God!" she exclaimed in shock as she got a good look at it. "A dinosaur!!!"  
  
She simply stared after its shape for a long while until something caught her eye. "Uh-oh," she said softly as the countryside came up to meet her. She'd forgotten about that. _'This is gonna hurt!'_ she thought, closing her eyes automatically.  
  
Her eyes widened in astonishment when she did crash. Yet, the thing she crashed into seemed unusual soft and was not quite stable.  
  
She heard a cry of "ow!" as she tumbled with whatever she'd collided into.  
  
"Ow!"  
  
She looked down in surprise and laughed nervously when she saw black hair. "Sorry!" she quickly blurted out, jumping to her feet. _'Strange though, an impact like that would've killed any normal human and I would have a lot of broken bones right now.'_  
  
"Who are you, woman?" a harsh voice belted out from behind her.  
  
She spun around and came face to face with an unhappy looking man with spiky black hair that completely defied gravity.  
  
She was quite taken aback but quickly put on a game face and replied calmly, "My name is Serena Tsukino," she answered, deciding to use her old surname.  
  
"Why were you falling out of the sky?" he demanded.  
  
For that she had no answer that she could give him. To change the subject, she spun around to face the person she'd fallen on. "Are you all right?"  
  
He laughed good-naturedly. "Hi, I'm Goku. I'm fine. I'm kinda curious, too. Why _were_ you falling out of the sky? Oh, and this is Vegeta."  
  
She simply stared at the young man, dumbfounded. This was her father? She was finally meeting her real father! She eyed him up and down and suppressed a laugh as she took in his untamed black hair and childish grin.  
  
_'He looks a little young though. I wonder how old he is,'_ she thought wistfully.  
  
Her calm mask slid into place again and she asked him a question in response though inside she was bubbling with other questions that she couldn't ask him. "Are you Son Goku, the legendary fighter of Chikyuu?"  
  
"Uh... Yes?" Goku answered uncertainly. "Am I legendary?" he asked Vegeta in all honesty.  
  
The shorter man scowled. "Yes, you are," he growled in reply, clearly not happy about it.  
  
"Oh. Ok then. I guess I am. Is there something you need?"  
  
Serena gulped unnoticeably and nodded, seemingly calm. "I want you to train me."  
  
At that, Goku took a step back. "Why?" he asked, eying her curiously.  
  
Vegeta snorted. "Don't make me laugh, woman. You wouldn't last a day."  
  
"Things aren't always how they seem," she replied, barely concealing her anger.  
  
Goku grinned at her spirit but then took on a serious expression. "But how do we know that you're a good guy?"  
  
That was a question that caught her off guard. Serena's eyes narrowed slightly as she tried to think of something that would show her abilities but wouldn't exploit her identity as Cosmos.  
  
"I don't know," she replied slowly, looking back up at Goku so that they were looking eye to eye. "How can I prove that I fight for justice?"  
  
Goku put a finger to his head as if he was deep in thought and then finally opened his mouth. "Ahhh... I dunno."  
  
Needless to say, Vegeta about fell over.  
  
Serena laughed mentally but simply smiled in reality. "I see."  
  
Vegeta regained his composure quickly and glared at Goku. "You have no brains, idiot." Then he glanced at Serena. "You, prove yourself by telling us why you want to be trained and who you are."  
  
"As I have told you," she answered, choosing her words wisely, "my name is Serena Tsukino. I want to be trained so that I might protect the innocent and fight for my beliefs. I want to be strong and I will not let that dream slip away. You will find that I never give up."  
  
Vegeta laughed scornfully at her words. "That is the stupidest thing I have ever heard. I'm sure you recite that speech all the time. Tell us why we _should_ train you. What is different about you and other humans?"  
  
"I have potential that you have never even dreamed of," she replied calmly, though she eyed him distastefully. _'This guy needs a serious chill pill.'_  
  
"How do you know that?" Goku asked curiously.  
  
She smiled slightly again. "You don't want to know."  
  
"We will not train you for no reason!" Vegeta suddenly snapped, far too irritated by her slight smiles and hidden reasons to remain calm.  
  
"Fine," Serena replied coldly. "I won't bother you then. I hope to see you some time, Goku. I can't say the same for your hotheaded friend though."  
  
With that, she turned on her heel and strolled calmly toward the village, every step graceful and poised.  
  
Vegeta glared after her and Goku laughed again.  
  
Serena glanced back as she reached the city, sighing in relief. "That was close. I don't think I could've kept up that face for another second. That guy, Vegeta, he's _so _annoying. What's with him? Did someone bite him or something? I swear." She shook her head and then continued walking.  
  
_'Where am I gonna sleep tonight?'_ she wondered as she wandered the streets aimlessly. _'And I have to figure out how to get close to Goku. The only thing I could think of was to ask him to train me. It's obvious he's not going to unless I show him some of my power, but then I'll have to tell him everything. Darn. And I can't let my mom and dad here know that I'm their daughter. They wouldn't believe me and then I'd have to let them know everything. I can't do that. Never mind. I'll think about it tomorrow. I'm sure they'll figure out that I'm their daughter sooner or later if I change the papers back. Then I don't have to tell them anything. Good. Now to find a place to sleep so I can wake up nice and early tomorrow.'  
_  
Nodding at her perfect plan, she used the Disguise Pen to change herself into a hotel worker and then snuck in, changing a few hotel papers and then sneaking into an empty room for the night.


	4. Welcome to Orange Star High

Chapter Four  
  
Something nice and warm and silky was pressed against her leg. Serena slowly opened her eyes and looked down. Her eyes widened and her hands shot up to muffle the scream that followed.  
  
_'Oh, my God! Oh, my God!'_ she thought, almost hysterically, as she looked down again. _'I have a t-tail!'_  
  
Slowly, taking in deep breaths, she sat up in the bed and assessed the white thing attached to her behind. _'Okay. There must be some rational explanation for this! There has to be!'_  
  
Thinking back to the last few days, she still couldn't come up with any conclusion as to why she had the tail. Oh well, time for some research.  
  
Rolling over onto her stomach, she pulled out the Mercury mini-computer and typed in 'tail'. She groaned as tons of info came up.  
  
_'I'm never gonna be able to look through all this.'_ Then something caught her eye. She clicked the arrow and then blinked as a picture of a beautiful young woman with flowing black hair and black eyes stared back at her.  
  
The caption read: A 50-year-old Saiyan female.  
  
"What?!" she exclaimed in disbelief. "That lady is way too young to be 50!"  
  
Then she remembered her father and that man, Vegeta. They both looked quite young but she knew that her dad was at least 35 years old.  
  
Pondering over how young Saiyans looked, Serena clicked ENTER for more information and then everything began to click into place.  
  
The passage read: Saiyans are usually born with brown or black tails. Saiyans generally live longer then humans and normally look much younger then they are supposed to look in human terms. Some Saiyans, mostly lower class, feel pain when their tail is pulled on or irritated in any way. Tails can also give a sense of pleasure though and give Saiyans a slight energy boost. If the tail is removed, the Saiyan will feel disoriented at first and will probably be a little clumsier then usual. If the Saiyan has never had previous training then the Saiyan will probably seem inferior to most humans.  
  
Saiyans are normally an aggressive species. From young to old, they are trained in many types of martial arts and know how to create energy blasts. They are born with enhanced senses like that of a monkey, and, if they look at the full moon while their tail is still attached, they will transform into large monkeys who sometimes may or may not have control of themselves.  
  
_'Well, that explains some things,'_ Serena thought, rolling her eyes. _'Like why I've always been a klutz. Oh well. I think that's enough for today. I'll read more_ _tomorrow. Now I've got to find an actual job and figure out to hide this tail.'_  
  
She emerged from the room an hour later, looking like any normal human girl. Well, any normal girl with silvery-blonde hair and silver-flecked blue eyes. She was dressed in white tennis shoes, light tan cargo pants, and a formfitting white top under a light tan button down shirt. To jazz up her outfit a bit, she had added gold crescent moon earrings and a matching necklace. A golden ring with an interlocking star and crescent moon adorned her finger and there was a simple gold watch on her left wrist. To finish up the costume, she held a nice and compact purse that was also a light tan to match her outfit. She clutched a manila portfolio in her left hand filled with papers and recommendations.  
  
Smiling slightly, Serena left the building and then entered a school nearby called the Orange Star High School to look for a job.  
  
She got a few whistles from the boys and envious looks from the girls as she made her way to the office, doing her best to look calm and in charge.  
  
"Ummm... Hi, how can I help you, miss?" the secretary asked.  
  
Serena smiled brilliantly and replied, "I'm looking for a job and I thought this would be the best place to start."  
  
"Aren't you a little young?" the secretary asked skeptically, eying her critically.  
  
Serena smiled again politely. "Things aren't always as they seem. I've already earned my college degree."  
  
The woman gaped at her. "How old are you, miss?"  
  
"I am eighteen."  
  
"That isn't possible!"  
  
"I assure you that I am an exception. I have my diploma if you wish to see it and I am sure that I could prove my intelligence by taking an exam, could I not?" Serena asked, sounding completely plausible.  
  
_'I'll win either way. If they give me an exam, I'll pass. And they can't possibly refuse someone that looks as smart, confident, and in control as I am at the moment. I'd make a great teacher 'cause I'm young, I'll know what the students are thinking, and I can make them pay attention. This is easier then I thought.'_  
  
The secretary sized her up once more and then sighed. "Please speak to the school principal about such matters as attaining a job in this school district. I am not authorized to do so."  
  
Serena plastered on a fake smile and nodded slightly. "All right. Thank you very much. Can I speak to him right now?"

Inside she was actually fuming and overly annoyed at the secretary. _'You could have just said yes and made everything easier. Fine, I'll go talk to the stupid principal.'_  
  
She entered his office and sat down. He talked something over with the secretary and then nodded, sitting down at his desk. "I understand that you are looking for a job, Miss..."  
  
"Tsukino," she answered. "Serena Tsukino."  
  
"Yes, Miss Tsukino, you are eighteen years old and you have a college degree and high school degree."  
  
"Yes, I do," she replied calmly, drawing out two certificates, her college diploma and high school diploma.  
  
The principal looked over the papers and then smiled. "Welcome to Orange Star High, Miss Tsukino. You are now a calculus professor."  
  
Serena flashed him a dazzling smile. "Thank you, sir," she said calmly, standing up to shake hands with him. _'Now what was it that Raye said about teachers needing teaching degrees? That must be completely bogus in this world or something.'_  
  
When she finally got away from all the people, she pumped her fist in the air and exclaimed in triumph, "Look out, people! Here comes Professor Tsukino!"


	5. Chaotic Meeting

Chapter Five  
  
Serena grinned to herself as she walked to the school at 6:30 in the morning, dressed in designer jeans and a pale blue top with a matching blue jacket tied around her waist and a violet knapsack, which she held onto in her right hand.  
  
_'I'm a calculus professor, I get to stay for free at a hotel, I know what my dad's like, and no one cares about who I am here. Could life get any better?'  
_  
She was halfway up the school walkway when she heard someone shout, "Look out!"  
  
On instinct from all her years of fighting demons, Serena sidestepped, dropping her backpack, and spun around just in time to avoid a speeding baseball. The ball struck the wall and she sighed in relief as she heard the loud thud. It might have broken a bone if it had hit her.  
  
Picking up the ball, she tossed it up once, testing to see if it had cracked. "Whose ball is this?" she called, watching boys run toward her.  
  
A muscular guy with long blond hair waved his hand high in the air, and she whipped it back at him, surprising him so much that he almost didn't catch it. "You should watch where you throw things," she suggested, smiling as she turned.  
  
Many boys stared after her, drooling as she entered the school building. A few of the girls smacked their boyfriends and the rest stared after her jealously.  
  
"I wonder who that is," Videl whispered to Gohan.  
  
He shrugged. "Well, whoever she is, she has quick reflexes."  
  
Videl grinned, glad that her boyfriend wasn't like the other guys. He didn't even know the _meaning_ of the word 'flirt'.  
  
The clock soon reached 7:25 and everyone stampeded inside to prepare for their classes.  
  
Smiling slightly, she and Gohan entered their first period class together, Calculus AP. That was one of the few classes they had with each other. The only other times they met in school were physical education, lunch, and if they met each other during passing period.  
  
When they entered the room, they found that everyone was whispering excitedly.  
  
"Hey, what's going on?" Videl asked a friend of hers curiously.  
  
"Oh, didn't you hear? There's a new professor and she's supposed to be really young, too!"  
  
Videl shrugged, sliding into the seat beside her friend. "What's the big deal? And where's our old professor?"  
  
At that, Gohan looked up from his book. "Oh, you mean Professor Tsui? He retired last week."  
  
"Oh."  
  
The last morning bell rang at promptly 7:35 and everyone looked up expectantly as the door clicked shut.  
  
"Oh, she must be a new student," Videl's friend whispered as the beautiful young woman from before turned and walked to the front of the room.  
  
Everyone quieted down and looked at her curiously as she stood in front of the desk, smiling calmly at their stares. She acted very strangely for a new student.  
  
She got everyone's attention when she began to speak in a musical voice with a mysteriously serene and positive lilt to it. "Contrary to belief, I am _not_ a new student. My name is Professor Tsukino, and I will be teaching you all. It's a pleasure to meet you."  
  
Everyone's mouths dropped and they stared at her in disbelief. She was their professor? Unbelievable! She couldn't possibly be any older then they were!  
  
"Are you _really_ our new professor?" a male student with spiky brown hair asked.  
  
Professor Tsukino nodded calmly. "Yes, I am your new calculus professor. And I can assure you that I am well certified to do this. Now, the first thing we will do today is take attendance. Then I can begin torturing you, as my job description states."  
  
Everyone groaned and let their heads drop as the professor smiled and began to read off the list.  
  
She suddenly paused and looked up. "Son, Gohan?" she asked, her voice trembling just slightly.  
  
"Here," the scholar replied, glancing at her strangely.  
  
Videl looked up as well when she heard the professor stop. Did she know Gohan?  
  
"Are you all right, Miss Tsukino?" Gohan asked her.  
  
After a moment, Professor Tsukino nodded and then a smile crossed her porcelain features again. "Yes, I'm fine," she replied softly. Then she looked down again and continued on, the peaceful smile remaining on her face.  
  
Videl and Gohan exchanged glances but said nothing. There wasn't really much left to do but wait until after class to talk about it. Gohan finished the calculus problems fairly easily and then sat silently, lost in his thoughts until Videl asked for a little help and when class was dismissed.  
  
Videl and Gohan talked as they did bench presses. It was strength training, a class they had together during 4th period.  
  
"Do you think she's a bad guy?" Videl asked Gohan curiously as she lifted 125 pounds without much effort.  
  
Gohan shook his head after a moment, his eyes thoughtful, meanwhile lifting 200 pounds without even breathing hard. "No, I don't think so. I don't sense any bad vibes from her. In fact, I don't sense anything strange about her at all. Maybe she was surprised to have me first thing in the morning because I'm the top student. She might've seen me at the tournament, too."  
  
"That could be right," Videl agreed. "I hope it is."  
  
"So do I," Gohan replied softly. "So do I."  
  
Serena's hands trembled as her eyes skimmed Gohan's calculus assignment. There wasn't a single wrong answer in the lot.  
  
_'I can't believe I just met my brother. The vibes coming off him were so strong and pure! It was like having my own vibes reflected at myself. I didn't realize we were so alike! I still don't know how I'm going to handle everything. How do I get to know my father and my brother? It'll be even harder because if I try to get close to Gohan, everyone'll either think he's a teacher's pet or that I have a crush on him! That'd be gross! Dad is even a harder problem. I don't know if we'll ever meet again. A conference would be good but why would I call a conference? Gohan's a perfect student. Oh, what have I gotten myself into?'_  
  
With a groan, Serena set down the paper and simply wrote 100 on the top. That was the last paper so she could leave for the day. It was only 4:30 but almost all of the other teachers were gone already.  
  
She became so lost in her thoughts that she didn't even notice when a man crept up behind her as she left the school building. She didn't even remember locking her classroom door. It was mostly an automatic thing that took no thought whatsoever.  
  
Her eyes widened in surprise when someone placed a hand on her shoulder.  
  
"How much for the night?" the bald-headed man asked.  
  
"What?" she asked, her brows furrowing in confusion. "How much what for the night?"  
  
The old man rolled his eyes. "How much money for the night, babe?"  
  
"_What?_" Serena shrieked, slapping his hand away. "I am _not_ a prostitute! Leave me alone!"  
  
"Oh, playing hard to get, are we?" he teased. "How about ten thousand yen?"  
  
"I said NO! Go away, you creep!" Serena screamed in his face.  
  
Just as he was about to reach for her again, a fist hit him so hard he skidded about 10 feet and then fell over, unconscious.  
  
"Are you all right, honey?" a kindly voice asked.  
  
She turned toward her savior and smiled gratefully at the older woman. "I am now. Thank you, ma'am."  
  
"What's a girl like you doing walking around where there are no people? It's not safe. By the way, my name is Chi-Chi," the woman added.  
  
Serena smiled at the black-haired woman with her hair tied back in a bun. She looked exactly like a mother should. _'Wait a minute! Chi-Chi! That's the name of **my** mother! This has **got** to be a coincidence!'_  
  
"It's nice to meet you, Chi-Chi. My name's Serena, I was just leaving the school. I'm a new professor."  
  
"_You're_ a professor?" the woman asked in disbelief. "But you're so young! You must be a genius!"  
  
Serena looked down blushing. "Well, not exactly. I just had a lot of free time on my hands."  
  
"Well, why don't you come over tomorrow night to meet my son? He does need a tutor. You are qualified to teach children, right?"  
  
Serena nodded. "I can teach anyone, but I'm not sure I'd be a very good teacher.  
  
"Of course you would!" Chi-Chi exclaimed. "If you can teach high school students, you can teach anyone!"  
  
She smiled, blushing again. "Thank you. I don't have anything to do for the rest of the day, how about I come see the little boy with you right now?"  
  
Normally, she wouldn't have gone with the woman without checking up on her background but the woman gave her a sense of security that she hadn't felt in such a long time.  
  
"That would be wonderful!" Chi-Chi exclaimed, picking up her forgotten groceries. She had dropped them as she went to hit the man.  
  
Purposely stepping on the man's hand as they walked passed him, Chi-Chi smiled again at Serena. "That man deserved it. He obviously had no morals."  
  
The silvery golden haired girl smiled back. "Thank you again, Chi-Chi. But where did you learn to hit so hard?"  
  
"Oh," a smile crossed the older woman's lips again as she reminisced in old memories. "I was a fighter a long time ago."  
  
"Wow," Serena whispered. "That's amazing!"  
  
Chi-Chi nodded. "I wish our house were closer to the city but my husband likes the country too much."  
  
"Oh, how inconsiderate of me!" Serena exclaimed, smacking her forehead with the palm of her hand. "Chi-Chi, can I help you with your groceries?"  
  
The woman smiled. "Thank you. You are a very kind young woman."  
  
"Thank you." Serena blushed again as she took one of the two paper bags filled to the top with groceries. "How far away is your home?"  
  
"Uhhhh..." At that, Chi-Chi stopped. "Well, actually, it might take a few hours."  
  
Serena almost fell over. "Your house really is in the countryside, isn't it?"  
  
"Well, yes," she admitted truthfully.  
  
"Do you think we would get there quicker if we jogged?" Serena suggested helpfully.  
  
"Do you think you can jog that far?" Chi-Chi asked in reply.  
  
The silvery blonde grinned and nodded. "Sure! I'm used to running a lot. I've never run long distance before though."  
  
"That's all right, if you're used to running then I'm sure we can make it there in no time."  
  
After much running and then pausing to catch their breaths, they finally reached the house an hour and a half later.  
  
"Whew!" Serena exclaimed as she waited for Chi-Chi to open the door. "Now _that _was a workout!"  
  
Chi-Chi smiled at her affectionately and then beckoned her to enter. "I'm surprised you could actually run with me! Most people would be left behind the way we ran!"  
  
Serena grinned back at her. "I've always been told that I'm good at running," she replied. Her eyes saddened as she thought about the person that had teased her about that. _'I miss you, Raye.'_  
  
Chi-Chi, noticing the sudden change in her new friend's mood, cheered her up by announcing that she would cook them up a snack as a reward for running so well.  
  
Serena grinned. "I _would_ help you, but I don't know how to cook. I'm sure you wouldn't enjoy food poisoning."  
  
Chi-Chi laughed and then went into the kitchen, telling her to make herself comfortable in the living room. Her husband and both of her sons were out with their friends. Apparently, her husband was at a place called Capsule Corps to spar with a friend of his. Her oldest son was on a date and her youngest son was with his father.  
  
Serena smiled as a rich aroma filled her nostrils. The smell was making her mouth water and her hands tapped out a rhythm on her lap idly.  
  
She stood up and spun around in disbelief as a familiar baritone rang through the air. "Chi-Chi! We're home!"  
  
"Goku!" she whispered. _'I was right! She **is** my mom! I've been lucky so many times this week!'_  
  
The man looked up and his brows furrowed in confusion. "Uh, hi, what are you doing here?"  
  
"Uh... I-I-I came with Chi-Chi!" she exclaimed. It really didn't matter that she had answered the question a second later when the wall collapsed inward.  
  
Chi-Chi ran out of the kitchen at the loud boom and blinked rapidly as plaster dust flew in her face. Serena, who had been closest to the explosion, had dust thrown in her face, blinding her and filling her lungs. Tears streaming down her face, she began to cough uncontrollably and ran toward where the Sons stood.  
  
"Serena!" Chi-Chi exclaimed. "Are you all right?"  
  
Serena tried to nod but only coughed again. "What's going on?" she managed to gasp, wiping her face on the sleeves of her jacket.  
  
Goku stepped in front of them protectively and shouted out, "Who are you? Show yourself!"  
  
A heinous laugh filled the air and a shadow formed in the clearing dust. "I am Malkaya. I serve my master, Chaos! I was sent here to relieve you of your energy, and that's exactly what I'll do now!"  
  
Serena groaned as she was thrown back against a wall, a vine-like tentacle strangling her. The same was happening to Chi-Chi. The tentacle crackled with some type of electric energy and began to zap their power.  
  
Goten and Goku had managed to dodge the things and they ran to help out Serena and Chi-Chi. The moment they touched the tentacles though, more sprouted out exactly where they touched it and began to drain their energy. Then more tentacles shot out from the monster and wrapped around their ankles and their wrists as well.  
  
Goku tried to fight back and normally the monster would be a pulp now but almost all of his energy was gone already.  
  
_'Damn! This thing works fast!'_ Serena thought frantically, wrapping her hands around the vines with a determined thought. _'By the power of Mars!'_  
  
The monster screamed and recoiled from her as the emblem of Mars lit up in red on the back of her hand and a fireball appeared between her palms, singing the demon from the inside.  
  
Goku stopped struggling and stared in disbelief. He was the only one still conscious besides Serena.  
  
"You've gotten yourself a death wish!" Serena growled angrily at the shocked monster.  
  
She threw out her right hand and shouted, "Mars Power!"  
  
The symbol of Mars burned on her hand again and a fireball appeared in front of her palm. Lifting her hand up in front of her agilely, she pulled it back, and Goku was surprised to see a bow and arrow of fire appear before her. Aiming effortlessly, she let the arrow fly into the heart of the monster. Goku lost consciousness as she let go of the arrow.  
  
"You may have defeated me, but, in the end, Chaos will win!" the monster shrieked as it alighted and then burned to a pile of ashes. Four different balls of energy floated above its ashes, and Serena reached out to them. The one burning the brightest flew into her chest and she closed her eyes as a comforting warmth filled her being.  
  
She then took the one that she guessed belonged to Chi-Chi and eased it into the woman's body, laying her out on the floor. She then did the same to Goten and then Goku, in order of who seemed to be in danger the most.  
  
After she set Goten on the couch and brought out blankets and pillows for Chi-Chi and Goku because they were too heavy for her to lift, she surveyed the damage.  
  
"Look what I've done to their house," she whispered sadly. "And I haven't even been here for two days. I bet they'll hate me forever now. Why does everything always have to go wrong?" she choked on the last few words and fell silent.  
  
_'My family will hate me forever.'_  
  
She sat down against a piece of the wall that was still standing with her knees pulled up to her chest and her head resting on them, and she began to cry.


	6. Confusion, Pandemonium, Mayhem

Chapter Six

Wiping her eyes quickly when she felt high energy signatures approaching she realized that Goku was awake. He looked at her, and she tried to smile but failed miserably.

Without another word she stood up and fled, knowing that somehow Goku and his family would be all right. How could she call herself his daughter when, in the end, she didn't know anything about being a daughter?

Her mother had died and she hadn't been able to tell her how much she cared because she was too busy trying to hide her life as Sailor Moon. Her father had kicked her out because she couldn't bring herself to tell him such an important fact about her life. And her brother had never looked up to her because she was a stupid klutz with no redeeming qualities.

_I'm so stupid!_ She berated herself harshly, running into the cover of the woods by Goku's house. _Why did I think that everything'd be perfect when I got here? I've only made things worse! They were perfectly happy and now I'm attracting enemies and getting them hurt._

She sensed someone approaching quickly and immediately muttered "Sailor Teleport!"

She knew that Goku had been the one following her because he was the most in tune with nature. The others would have tried to follow her energy signature but all Lunarians were born with the ability to hide it and did so unconsciously from when they were born until the day they died unless they purposely overrode their nature. This was another side effect of their peaceful ways. They did not want to intimidate anybody by displaying their true power.

She had been so unfocused and frantic that she hadn't thought about where she would land. With the adrenaline fueling her system, her command brought her incredibly far. She screamed and shuddered when she found herself floating in the middle of a vast expanse of freezing cold water.

Teeth chattering, she envisioned her hotel suite and managed to whisper "Sailor Teleport" once more, images of sharks running through her mind all the while.

She stumbled into the shower a moment later, fumbling with the water nozzle to turn it to hot. The water burned her skin and she quickly turned it so that it was lukewarm, gradually bringing up the temperature.

By the time she got out of the shower, her normally beautiful creamy peach skin was an angry red. She stared into the mirror at herself and truly realized how pitiful she was. Unable to control herself, she sat down on top of the toilet cover and began sobbing despairingly.

As she slowly came back to herself she turned her head to stare bitterly at her reflection. _I should never have come here. The only thing that has changed is that I'm crying like a baby again and I've finally realized how selfish and obstinate I really am. I should go before I hurt anybody else._

Gathering up the little things that she had and throwing them in her subspace pocket, she fixed her appearance so that she didn't look like a heartbroken ninny and slipped out of the hotel, her face expressionless.

Before she left she wanted to see this different yet comfortingly similar world and so she took a long, long stroll out of the city. She kept walking and this time no lecherous man bothered her. The shadow that hung around her persuaded all from walking near her.

That is, except for a certain android with long black hair and a bandanna around his neck.

He had been flying around, extremely bored that day when a glint of gold hair caught his eye. He hovered lower to the ground and watched her as she passed him by. Her cerulean blue eyes were mesmerizing but they instilled in him a feeling of shame and he suddenly felt angry.

"Hey, you!" he shouted when she was a little less than a quarter of a mile away from him.

Of course she didn't hear him. He flew toward her and tried again. This time she glanced at him and then looked forward again.

He glared at her, thinking that she was dismissing him. For a moment it felt as if his stomach had plummeted.

"Stop right there!" he yelled furiously.

'Why are you getting so upset?' a voice in his head asked him.

'She's ignoring me!' he shouted back.

'Is that really it?'

He ignored the condescending tone of his own thoughts and flew over the lady's head, landing in front of her, effectively barring the way.

She paused in her steps and raised empty cerulean eyes to meet his. He mentally flinched and then asked himself why. Shaking the conflicting thoughts out of his head, he debated on what to do.

He liked doing some things physically but he didn't really want to physically mar the beauty in front of him. So he settled for a small energy blast.

Her eyes widened, but only slightly. He seethed again when, before his blast hit her, he didn't see any fear in her eyes. When the dust cleared, he was even more enraged, also disbelieving. She was still standing there, not a hair out of place. Apparently she wasn't as fragile as she looked.

"Please, step aside," she said quietly.

Her hoarse tone caught him off guard. He had expected her voice to be silky and beautiful, like herself. _Is this what humans are like when they are upset?_ he wondered to himself. He had always thought that when people got upset they were extremely loud and annoying. Many of them also cried. The only one he knew would never express these symptoms was his sister, and he was having trouble locating her these days.

Seeing that he wasn't going to move, the lady began walking again. As she went around him, he grabbed her wrist. His eyes widened when something intangible swelled under his hand and he was blown off.

For a moment, he glimpsed an arsenal of power. Then it was gone. The lady said two words and then she was gone as well.

"What the hell?" he asked.

He searched various cities from above for a time but didn't see her again. _I will know her secret!_ he thought vehemently.

As Serena appeared in front of the hotel she'd been staying at, she continued walking, glad that she'd landed there during one of their slower times. There was no one there to witness her miraculous appearance. She also donned a hat so that her hair wasn't so easily spotted.

She was looking for a convenient place to transform and teleport herself back to her own world—it took more energy to teleport between dimensions so she had to transform—when someone called out "Miss Tsukino!"

She turned and fitted on a small but fake smile at the call. "Yes?"

Her voice sounded coarse to her ears so she cleared her throat and tried again. "Hi… Do I know you?"

The brunette standing before her grinned and shook her head quickly. "You probably don't remember me. I sit all the way in the back. I'm in your third-period calc class."

Serena quickly went through the day in her head again and pretended to grin suddenly. "Oh, yeah! Carrie, right?"

"Wow, you do remember!" she exclaimed. "So, is it true that you're, like, eighteen?"

Serena nodded.

"Wow! That's way cool!" Her hazel eyes lit up brightly. "That's so hard to believe. You must be like a genius or something!"

Serena was going to deny it like any normal person would do but Carrie rambled on.

"I'm so glad you're our teacher!" Carrie went on to say. "We had all these stuffy old guys before and they didn't explain anything at all! It was so hard! I had, like, three tutors! If you stopped teaching we'd probably get some bogus professor. I'd definitely fail."

And then her watched beeped and Carrie quickly muttered a rushed goodbye before dashing off.

Serena stared after her pensively as she left. _She makes it sound like I've actually helped her. All I did was talk about the lesson today and give a quiz. It's not like I did anything hard._

Distracted from the thought of going home she wandered the streets a little more, consumed once again by her thoughts. It'd been a long time since she'd thought so much about anything other than schoolwork and her friends and mother dying.

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Sorry I took so long. My computer got a virus and crashed and it took a while for my extremely procrastinating uncle to fix it and I haven't had internet since December last year. Plus, I'm a procrastinator myself. Sorry. I'll try to be quicker about it.

Thanks for the reviews from:

JewelRaine of the DarknesssaiyangirlserenacutiepieangelSKY UNICORNplatinum starPrincess Silver Serenity Demonkitty2007Eo momocoladyAmandaangel213

And Especially thanks to long time reviewers: koldy, Tsuki no Tenshi, Damia – Queen of the Gypsi's, and Flame Ivy Moon

Again I apologize for my non-updating-ness. I'll try harder from now on. Please don't give up on me.


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